Coupling



June 9, 1936.

R. c. `COLHDLAND 2,043,237

Richard E Enuplami At urnay Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUPLIN G Application July 10, 1934, Serial No. 734,561

2 Claims.

(Granted under the act f March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 3,70 O. G. 757) 'I'he invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a coupling.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a coupling between a member and a support which may be quickly and easily operated in coupling and uncoupling and which will afford a rm and secure attachment.

A further object of the invention is to: provide a coupling in which it is only necessary to act on a single member to couple or uncouple the member and the support.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in connection with a trigger motor housing that is to be associated with a machine gun.

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of the breech casing with the housing attached.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an inside plan view of the housing.

Fig. 4 is a Isectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 show detail views in plan and elevation of the bell crank lever.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference there is shown the breech casing of a machine gun including a pair of spaced side walls 5 5. The side walls are each provided with a p-air of slots or apertures, the rear aperture 6 having its rear face l inclined forwardly from inside to outside of the breech casing and the front aperture 8 having its front face 9 inclined rearwardly from inside to outside of the breech casing. The faces 'I and 9 are therefore outwardly convergent or inwardly divergent.

A housing Ill adapted to be mounted on, and bear against either one of the side walls 5--5 of the breech casing is formed with a pair of lugs II and I2 respectively entering the apertures 6 and 8. Ihe lug II has an inclined face I3 complementary to and adapted to bear against the inclined face I of the rear aperture.

The lug I2 carries a bell crank lever I4 mounted on a pivot pin I5. One arm I5 of the lever corresponds to the lug II and has an inclined face 5 II complementary to and adapted to bear against the inclined face 9 of the front aperture 8. The other arm I8 of the lever is bifurcated to straddle a nipple I9 on the front end of the housing IU. A nut threaded on the nipple bears against l0 the bifurcated arm I8, holds it immovable against the shoulder 2l of the housing and thereby forces the inclined faces I3 and I'I of the housing into engagement with the inclined faces l and 9 of the side wall 5. l5

A half turn of the nut 2c frees the bell crank lever suciently to enable the housing to be detached by an outward movement of its front end. The attachment of the housing to the side Wall 5 of the breech casing is accomplished by re- 2O versing this operation. When the nut is tight the housing is securely held in place on the side wall of the breech casing.

I claim:

1. In a coupling, a support having oppositely inclined surfaces converging outwardly, a member on the outside of the support and having a reduced end, a xed inclined surface on said member for engaging one of the inclined surfaces of the support, a bell-crank lever fulcrumed on said member, one arm of the lever having an inclined surface for engaging the other inclined surface of the support, the other arm of the lever straddling the reduced end of the member, and a nut on the reduced end of the member holding said other arm against the support.

2. In a coupling, a support having oppositely in-v clined surfaces converging outwardly, a member on the outside of the support and having a reduced end, a fixed inclined surface on said member for engaging one of the inclined surfaces. of the support, a lever fulcrumed on said member, one arm of the lever having an inclined surface for engaging the other inclined surface of the support, and a nut on the reduced end of the member holding said other arm against the support.

RICHARD C. COUPLAND. 

